10-Year-Old Boy Leaps into Pool to Save Drowning Mother Who Was Having Seizure: ‘My Guardian Angel’

A 10-year-old in Oklahoma was recognized by a local police department after his quick thinking helped save his mother’s life.

Earlier this month, a home-security camera captured the moment when Gavin Keeney jumped into his family’s pool to save his mother, Lori Keeney, who was having a seizure, according to Good Morning America.

“[Gavin] had just gotten out of the pool and I just went into a seizure,” Lori, who has epilepsy, told the outlet. “It scared me more than I’ve ever been scared.”

Speaking with GMA, Gavin said that he sprung into action after he saw his mother “sinking in the pool.”

In the video footage, Gavin can be seen diving into the pool and then pulling his mom to the pool’s edge, all the while keeping her head above water.

“He’s definitely my hero,” Lori told GMA. “But I really do feel like he’s my guardian angel, as well.”

In a celebration of the youngster, the Kingston Police Department made sure to let everyone on social media know that “we have a hero in Marshall county.”

Kingston Police Department Chief Kasey Cox tells PEOPLE that it was important to show everyone, including Gavin himself, that “he was selfless and brave” on Aug. 6.

“Due to his quick actions, he saved a life,” Cox says, adding that the boy jumped into the pool “without hesitation” and held onto his mom until his grandfather arrived to offer additional help.

“Due to Gavin’s quick actions, his mother didn’t have to go to the hospital and swallowed no water,” the chief adds. “He is a hero. That’s the bottom line. ”

Photos shared by the department showed Gavin getting another kind of recognition as well: a Saving a Life plaque, according to NBC and ABC affiliate KTEN.

“He has such great compassion for humankind and his friends and family, and I really hope that maybe this is a future for him,” Cox said while presenting the award to Gavin, according to the outlet.

This marked the second time Gavin received the award, having previously helped prevent his mom from choking, the outlet reported.

Speaking with KTEN, Gavin’s mom said that she has “so much pride in him.”

“[It’s a] truly amazing thing to see,” she added.

Source